分析研究英语四级考试阅读理解历届考题，可以发现命题者命制的考点是有一定规律的，且考点规律常与某种题型(主旨题、细节题、逻辑题、观点态度题、词义题)相对应。如果考生掌握了这些规律，就能在第一遍快速阅读短文时，敏锐地捕捉到考点并能预测可能会出的题型。考生此时应用笔在这些可能会出题的考点轻轻划上记号，等看完短文开始做题时，针对题干的提问，迅速找到做记号的考点，再仔细分析、答题。这样，考生就能节省不少时间，从而避免开始做题时又要通阅全文盲目找考点。下面，我们将这些考点规律及对应题型归纳如下：
1、列举处常考
列举处指的是First,…，second, …，Third, …等逐步列出，并列指的是A、B and C。其共同特点是列出3条或3条以上的条目。后要求考生从列举出的内容中，选出符合题干要求的答案项。该考点常出题型是"细节事实题"。 主要有两种：
① which题型
该题型要求从并列的三项中选一项作为答案，其他选项与题目无关。
② except题型
该题型要求考生通过核对文章内，排??为答案。也称为“三缺一”题型。
例1. At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: firstly, as members of a police force they always have to be have absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
Q: What's the policeman's biggest headache?
(A) He has to get the most desirable results without breaking the law in any way.
(B) He has to justify his arrests while unable to provide sufficient evidence in most cases.
(C) He can hardly find enough time to learn criminal law while burdened with numerous criminal cases.
(D) He has to provide the best possible public service at the least possible expense.
(分析：选A。属事实细节题。依据文章，与电影中的警察很不相同的是，现实中警察既要绝对遵守法(firstly,…),又要及时破案(secondly,…),这令他们很难两头兼顾，有时只有犯规。很明显，B、C、D三项都与文章内容不符。)
在做此类细节事实题时，只要把细节考点(firstly,…secondly…)找到，对照选项内容，跟细节事实不一致的就不是选项。考生只需细心一点都能辨清细节事实，选对答案。
例2.I believe we have a three-part mission for the present.First, we must continue to press for improvements in the quality of life that people can make for themselves . Second，we mast investigate and understand the link between environment and health. Third，we must be able to communicate technical information in a form that citizens can understand. If we can accomplish these three goals in this decade，maybe we can finally stop environmental degradation, and not merely hold it back. We will then be able to spend pollution dollars truly on prevention rather than on barrages.
Q: which of the following is true according to the last paragraph?
(A)Efforts should be exerted on pollution prevention instead of on remedial measures.
(B)More money should be spent in order to stop pollution.
(C)Ordinary citizens have no access to technical information on pollution.
(D) Environmental degradation will be stopped by the end of this decade.
(分析：选A。属事实细节题。专生只要看懂了文章内容三个方面，很容易排除掉B、C、D三项。)
2、举例子打比喻的地方常考
为了使自己的观点更有说服力、更加明确，作者经常用具体的例子打比方，句中常由as, such as, for example, for instance等引导的短语或句子作为举例句，这些例句或比喻成为命题者提问的焦点。考生需注意的是例子或比喻一般是和文章或段落中心紧密相关的，常以"细节事实性"题型和"推断性"题型出现，但偏倾于"推断性"题型。
例1. The opinion seems ridiculous because, for one thing, computers lack the drives and emotions of living creatures. But drives can be programmed into the computer's brain just as nature programmed them into our human brains as a part of the equipment for survival.
Q：Today, computers are still inferior to man in terms of ______ .
(A) decision making (B)drives and feelings
(C)growth of reasoning (D)information absorption
(分析：选B项。这属辩认细节事实题，依据文章我们知道计算机缺少人类所具有的动机和情感：computers lack the drives and emotions of living creatures,至于动机可以被编入计算机程序，那是今后的事，就目前而言计算机在动机和情感方面不如人类。选项B符合题意。考生只要注意到for one thing 后面一句话，即可选出。)
